Horror directors Dougherty & Roth to pen 'Heroes: Origins'
Heroes creator Tim Kring enlists more high-power movie talent for his six-episode spin-off.
Screenwriter Michael Dougherty (Superman Returns) and writer/director Eli Roth (Hostel) have been tapped for behind-the-scenes duties on Heroes: Origins, an anthology spinoff of NBC's hit series Heroes.
Each of the six stand-alone episodes will follow previously-unseen characters as they discover their extraordinary powers. Viewers will eventually vote online for their favorite new character, and the winning "hero" will join the main series for season three.
(Just call it Heroic Idol.)
Heroes: Origins will premiere on Monday nights during the original show's winter '08 hiatus, combining for a total of 30 hours of programming for this season.
"I'm calling it the 'Bulk-Up Challenge,'" said NBC Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly, adding that the new schedule would allow the regular show to air virtually uninterrupted through the season.
Heroes fans Dougherty and Roth--who also will direct--join another high-profile talent and self-professed devotee of the series: the comic book-loving (and writing) Kevin Smith (Dogma), who announced himself as an Origins writer-director in front of a roomful of fans at July's four-day Comic-Con extravaganza in San Diego, and admitted that he was nervous to be taking charge of the first spin-off episode.
"I just don't want to be the guy who ruins Heroes," he said in his characteristic manner.
According to DigitalSpy, another A-list movie-maker isn't worried about ruining the show, because he claims not to know anything about it.
"What the fv$& is Heroes?" replied Director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) when asked about helming an episode of Origins.
Some wonder if the self-proclaimed pop-culture junkie is just "putting them on." After all, how could a celebrated Hollywood auteur not have HEARD of NBC's hottest show of '06?
Dougherty, who also co-wrote X2: X-Men United, recently made his directorial debut with the upcoming horror movie Trick 'r Treat, which he also wrote.
Roth's other credits include Hostel: Part II and Cabin Fever.
[Thanks to vfxworld.com; Natalie Finn @ E! Online; MICHAEL SCHNEIDER @ Variety; and Jon Lachonis @ BuddyTV for additional content.]